


Nightmares

by Layali_Is_Lazy



Series: FireTiger [2]
Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood and Gore, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Sleepy Cuddles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-29
Updated: 2020-05-29
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:14:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24443422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Layali_Is_Lazy/pseuds/Layali_Is_Lazy
Summary: Sometimes you need someone to keep your Nightmares away.
Relationships: Firestar/Tigerclaw (Warriors)
Series: FireTiger [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1756984
Comments: 2
Kudos: 49





	Nightmares

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for if my grammar is a bit off at some points I'm actually German.
> 
> Have fun reading!

Fireheart can still remember the first time he had a nightmare. It was after the day he searched for Spottedleaf only to find her laying in the grass. Blood was gushing out her throat painting the ground red. Her dull brown eyes were staring up at him, all life and emotions lost. He remembered how the whole clan had settled around her when the night came. It was silent nobody spoke everybody just quietly grieved the death of their medicine cat. Fireheart also remembers how the nightmare played out with every single detail. He got it the night after he sat vigil with Graystripe.

_He was standing in the middle of the Thunderclan camp at first there was nothing suspicious. He could see the medicine cat den in the back of the camp. The Moonlight hitting the smooth stones that were on top of the den. It was pleasantly quiet. The only sound that he made out was the soft breeze it the starry night. At some point he even heard an Owl screech in the distance. The Dream felt almost too real if you think about it. After he scanned the part of the camp that was laid out in front of him he turned around. Only to be met with a horrifying sight sending a cold shiver up his spine. The pleasant feeling he had before being shattered within seconds. In front of him were several cats laid out he couldn't identify them there faces were all smeared. But the worst part was that every cat had a deep cut in there throat blood gushing out mirroring what he had seen with Spottedleaf perfectly. Fireheart stumbled a few steps backwards almost tripping over his own paws in the process. The toms Nose being filled up with the smell of blood. Fireheart tried heaving for air. But it felt like it just didn't work, the oxygen rather being cut off by his throat closing._

When he woke up he was sweating a small tear trickling down his cheek. He lifted his head slightly, his body was trembling and he still could fell the faint feeling of his throat closing. He let out a soft sigh when he realized it was just a nightmare. Looking around he checked if anybody had noticed his panic but it seemed like all warriors were sound asleep. But if he thinks about it now he isn't sure if they were really all asleep.

* * *

After Cinderpaws leg got crippled his Nightmares got worse. No wonder, it was horrifying to watch your own apprentice get hit by a monster and thrown across the thunderpath. And worse knowing which cat was responsible. Tigerclaw. Fireheart was sure it was him (well he is still convinced that it was him). Even though something was weird about this. If he hadn't been mistaken he had seen a tinge guilt take over the amber gaze of the broad shoulderd tom for a few seconds. Even tough his cold gaze returned as fast as it had came. He shouldn't feel guilty when he intended a cat to get hit. His Leader even! right? And even though Fireheart was pleased that the older warrior was at least a bit remorseful, he couldn't help but feel guilty himself. He should have forbidden Cinderpaw to come with him at all. He should have pulled her off that road instead of just standing there and watching as the blood splattered acroos the thunder path. Maybe this would have never happened if he had been stricter with her. But well this is about his Nightmares not his self doubt. He must say at first he didn't have any nightmares. Which probably relates to the fact of his lack of sleep the days shortly after the incident. He would always lay next to his apprentice waiting for her to wake up, for her to say that she was 'Just Fine!' and give him one of her goofy grins. Eventually Yellowfang had to literally drag him out of the medicine den because a kept refusing the request to go to sleep. Yellowfang was even being supported by the deputy himself stating that 'He looked like a dying crow trying to heave a last breath of air.' whatever that was supposed to mean. So he went to sleep. And had one of his worst nightmares at that time.

_He was standing at the edge of the thunderpath. At first there were no monsters to be seen just the smooth surface of the road. He could also see a bit of the Shadowclan territory on the other side of the thunderpath. The tall pine trees cutting trough the crisp night sky. He flinched when a cat jumped on the smooth surface seemingly out of nowhere. Even though he wasn't sure if he even could call that thing a cat. It was just a pitch black blob that had the form of a cat with wide round eyes that were a lighter gray_

_( He wasn't even sure if this spirals of lines could be called eyes) staring at him. It was a bone chilling sight alone but it got worse when he could feel the road underneath his paws start to vibrate. And in the next moment a monster came rushing in growing closer and closer to the black cat. He wanted to move! To scream! To tell the cat to hurry of that damn road! But he just couldn't. It felt like his paws were glued to the ground forcing him to watch the scene in front of him. The monster hit the black cat. And a disgusting thick black fluid was now covering the ground, a bit even splattered over his face. His legs were trembling as he stared in shock at the rode in front of him the cat that had just stood there vanished._

He woke up with jerk his body moving itself in a sitting position. He breathed heavily his sight a bit blurred from the tears in his eyes. Firehearts fur and tail furiously bristled. He needed a few heartbeats before he managed to get his trembling form to move back in his nest. For a moment he thought he could feel eyes burning into the back of his head. But when he turned around and scanned the den no warrior was looking at him. He turned back in his original position placing his head on his paws. He didn't sleep again that night.

* * *

Then the moment came his Nightmares made him scared to sleep. Rather staying awake spending his time on endless thoughts or just watching the quiet camp in the night. Why, you ask? Well... If he was being honest it was kind of a stupid reason. Graystripe had just started his relationship with Silverstream. At first he thought Graystripe would get over it. Just a silly little crush right? Nothing to worry about! Well it turned out for Graystripe it wasn't. He was almost obsessed with her, placing the silver she cat over everything and everybody else. He acted like she was untouchable. So when he volunteered to go to the Riverclan battle Graystripe was furious. He didn't think much of Graystripe suddenly wanting to talk with him. Maybe he finally came to his senses? But no. Graystripe attacked him behind the nursery where he supposedly wanted to "talk" with him. A smartly chosen place, nobody would see them here. Graystripe pushed Fireheart down onto the sandy ground only a bit of grass covering it in the cold leafbare, making the fall not exactly soft. His eyes filled with pure rage directed at his best friend. He had pinned him down digging his claws into Firehearts shoulders. Fireheart tried to push him of which only lead to them rolling into the middle of camp. Everybody was staring at them. Admittedly it was a strange sight. Graystripe managed to push him down again lifting one of his paws. Just as Fireheart expected a blow to his face Graystripe was being pulled off. Fireheart let out a relieved sigh as Runningwind ran over and helped him up. Help he greatly appreciated because Graystripe claws weren't kind when they had dug into his shoulders. Runningwind had always been a kind warrior. Interested in who actually took the time to help him he turned his head and almost gasped in surprise. An all to familiar dark tabby Tom loomed over his old best friend amber eyes narrowed into a critical gaze. After a few tense minutes of the Deputy scolding the Grey tom for his unacceptable behavior the clan settled back into normality. Graystripe was sent of to have a talk with Bluestar. Tigerclaw watched him go turned around to look at him for a few heartbeats only to turn back around with a soft scoff and left him alone again.

And of course when he went to sleep that night he had a nightmare. And he still isn't sure why this particular Nightmare bothers him so much. It wasn't filled with gore and blood as it was with the nightmare after Spottedleafs death. It also wasn't filled with the horrifying feeling of not being able to do anything, as with the dream after Cinderpaws accident. It was just him watching as him and his friends slowly driffted apart. Everybody seeming to have to follow a different Destiny. Ravenpaw leaving to go live with Barley in the barn. Finally smiling more often than not. Finally having found a cat that he trust enough to spend the rest of his life with. And Graystripe... Graystripe seems to follow the forbidden relationship he is having not looking back ones. And can he blame him? Maybe no. Maybe yes. Maybe just the part of Graystripe that started to disrespect him because he stated his opinion. Because he was worried and didn't want his Friend to end up conflicted. With one paw in two clans. It just hurt knowing that his Best Friend didn't even try to listen to him, try to understand him.

And maybe that's why this dream of watching himself sitting in the middle of a dark abyss his friends slowly drifting away from him was so horrorfiying to watch. But when he woke up this time. Fireheart did not cry and he did not tremble. He just convinced himself to try to stay awake as much as possible.

* * *

And that decision got him to where he is now. A tired wreck that doesn't even manage to catch a mouse properly. He should have expected it to happen. No cat can live trough several days without sleeping. He was on a patrol currently Tigerclaw was leading it Whitestorm and Brindleface following close behind. He himself was at the end of the patrol. Whitestorm and Brindleface were talking rather quietly even though you could hear soft giggles from time to time. Tigerclaw was deadly quiet and even frowned a bit seeming to be caught up in his own thoughts. Even though he did look over his shoulder sometimes. As if he was checking what they were all doing. And Fireheart himself tried hard not to collapse in the middle of the patrol. Every step felt like a torture his whole body screaming at him to just lay down and take a long relaxing nap. He shook his head lightly trying to concentrate. Apparently his behavior didn't go unnoticed by the Deputy leading the patrol. Apparently he had loomed over his shoulder again seeing his little headshake and yawn. Tigerclaw told Whitestorm to lead the patrol for him as he let himself fall behind next to the small and tired warrior at the back. "What is going on with you?" Tigerclaws voice was surprisingly calm. "You've been acting weird for the last days. Have you suddenly decided doing your duties as a warrior isn't that important Kittypet?" There's the familiar bite too the words of the tabby. "I just haven't slept that well the Last couple days. I'll get it together." Tigerclaw inspected him for a few seconds and Fireheart could swear that he saw a bit of pity mixed in the emotionless stare. "You better, we don't wanna have to tell Bluestar right?" Even though these words were meant to be threatening Tigerclaws voice was calm. After a few heartbeats Tigerclaw picked up his pace and trotted back to the front.

When he was back in camp he watched as Brindleface skipped back into the nursery to her kits Ashkit and Fernkit. Whitestorm was following close behind. Fireheart could remember the big white tom promising his kits to tell them a story today, he had to smile a little at that.

And then came the night and Fireheart laid in his nest unsure of what he should do. He didn't want to disappoint his clan by not giving his best. But he also didn't want to have a night filled with Nightmares again. At the end he decided to at least try to sleep a little. And even if the thought of having a nightmare disturbed him he couldn't help but feel his body relax as he closes his eyes. Listening to the sounds of the night as he fell into the world of dreams.

He was sitting on the Sunningrocks next to the Riverclan border. The sun was shining making at seem like the water in the river next to the tall stones was sparkling. He closed his eyes breathing in the fresh air. Suddenly he heard a pain filled screach echoing of the stones. Fireheart jumped to his paws immediately. He looked around alarmed trying to figure out were the scream had come from. He climbed down a few stones. Just as he wanted to go onto the next stone he stepped into a thick fluid. Confused he looked down only to gasp when he saw the blood sticking to his paw and the disgusting smell filling his nostrils. He looked up from the blood pool slowly, to see a cat lying in it. She had a beautiful silver tabby fur. Her bright blue eyes staring up into the sky any emotion left them just a blank stare. He knew who that is. He was hundred percent sure about who it is... but he is to scared to truly admit it to himself. The only cats he didn't know were the too little figures lying next to her body. But before he could think much of it the image started to fade as he woke up.

When he woke up he gasped for air. His fur bristled and lungs painfully tight. He shook his head dizzy from the immense smell of blood in his dream. He was trying to regulate his breathing as he heard shuffling from behind him. Shocked he stopped his entire movement. The shuffling turned into pawsteps and dread filled his body and he squeezed his eyes shut. _A cat had witnessed his panic! What if they tell the clan?!_ _Everyone his gonna make fun of him!_ But then his thoughts were interrupted by a deep but yet calming voice "Everything okay?" The young warrior teared his eyes open. Fireheart stared in pure disbelief as he turned his head slightly to the sight to meet amber eyes. "Kittypet?" Finally Firehearts brain set in motion again and he tried to ramble out an apology. "I'm so sorry I didn't mean to wake you I jus-" Firehearts rambling got cut off "Calm down Kittypet. I didn't accuse you of anything did I?" The younger warrior looked away embarrassed at his own rambling. "Now mind telling me the real reason why you're always so unfocused?" Firehearts looked down as he answered the handsome tabby. "I'm having Nightmares. Like, not the normal kind of Nightmares and that almost every night.." There was a silence that followed after his confession although it didn't hold on for long. "So that's the reason you've been so unfocused lately?" Tigerclaw asked and the ginger Tom was amazed at how soothing his voice sounded. All the usual ruff edges to his tone gone just a soft and almost caring tone staying. Fireheart shook his head before he answered. "I refused to sleep the last days and stayed awake all the time." He answered lowering his voice mid sentence as he noticed the other noticeably tensing up. "You what?" the Deputy hissed quietly to not wake the others up. Fireheart fur puffed out in embarrassment under the tabbys stare. After a while Tigerclaw sighed "Come with me." came the sudden demand from the giant tom which made Fireheart blink in confusion. "Why-" "I don't want to sleep near the front of the den that's why." Tigerclaw retorted before he could even finish his question. "What do you mean 'you don't want to sleep near the front'?" Tigerclaw turned his head a slightly annoyed expression on his face. "Beacuse I want you to sleep next to me. You know like cuddling." Firehearts eyes widen. "I'm sure that's not necessary." He blurted out quickly. The Deputy stared at him for a few seconds before finally saying something. "Do you want to sleep peacefully or not?" the tabby asked him. The ginger tom in question stayed quiet for a few heartbeats. "Okay. I'll sleep in your nest" he answered quietly. And then almost squealed as Tigerclaw offered him a warm smile.

The older tom lead him to his nest in the middle of the den. And after a few heartbeats of almost stepping onto other warriors tails or stumbling over them he finally made it to the olders nest. He let himself fall down next to the warrior. And then there was silence with the ginger tom staring awkwardly at his own paws. He was probably lucky sitting next to a rather brash tom because after a few minutes of the awkward silence Tigerclaw pulled Fireheart closer. And Fireheart didn't resist, he let himself sink into the thick fur from the cat beside him. He also didn't resist when Tigerclaw started grooming him. Rather enjoying the feeling. It was relaxing letting the worries he had go and just concentrate on something else. In this case a ridiculously handsome dark tabby tom with piercing amber eyes. He noticed for the first time how caring the tom can actually be. He also noticed for the first time that the tabby didn't smell that bad. It was a mix of Thunderclan scent and his own which he would describe similar to the smell of pine trees. He closed his eyes listening to the soft purring coming from the older warrior who seemed to be enjoying this just as he was also relaxing in a way. And after a bit of time he was lulled back to sleep again by the Deputy.

And this time he didn't have a Nightmare.


End file.
